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6/22/12

Thank You, Everyday Elements!

As you all know (maybe, maybe you haven't been listening?)...

I am currently attending a fabulous blogging conference in Charlotte, NC this weekend. I am attending this conference thanks to my dear friend, Amanda, who owns Everyday Elements! Amanda is a mom to 4, home schools, lives on a farm, and self-taught photographer. {SL LOVES SELF TAUGHT PHOTOGRAPHERS!} She created Everyday Elements to be a resource for any photographer, new & professional.

Last Spring I attended a great day long workshop at her home in South Carolina. Along with several other women (who are just wonderful! amazing photography skills!) we learned the ins & outs of our cameras, how to shoot in full on sun, how to shoot in shade with dappling. We learned how to maximize our workflow, how to edit effectively, and how to get it done!

This is the group in the field, photographing these sweet people below:

I cannot recommend Everyday Elements enough! Not only does Amanda do "in-person" workshops, she also gives online workshops through out the year to help users learn Photoshop Elements & Lightroom. She has the perfect workshop for learning your camera - she will take you step by step on the science of your camera. If you have yet to move your camera's button to manual, TAKE THE WORKSHOP. You will not regret it, AND your photography will improve by leaps and bounds!

Amanda offers a host of TUTORIALS for your perusing. I cannot tell you how many times I forget how to edit something, and I go HERE to refresh my memory! The tutorials are written in every day language, meaning that ANYONE can understand. Along with a written tutorial, she uses video to SHOW you what she is doing, and what you should be doing as well! Very helpful!!

Everyday Elements provides PSE actions that will add the perfect balance to your photos. Using actions is so great when you are in a hurry! These are pre-set "actions" (get it???!) that you can drop onto your photo in PSE. It will take your photo from this:

to this:

The colors are a bit brighter, the purple notes of the babies' skin were taken out, and it the photo is now a bit "happier."